TSAMTO, March 23. Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nagy confirmed that as part of compensation for the transfer of 13 MiG-29 aircraft and the Kub air defense system to the Armed Forces, the United States offered 12 new AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters, along with related equipment, training of pilots and technicians, as well as AGM-114 Hellfire-2 ATGM.
According to the Minister, the offer is profitable and will significantly increase the defensive potential of Slovakia. Currently, there are no attack helicopters in service with the Armed Forces of the country.
The cost of the proposed VIVT exceeds $1 billion. Of these, about $660 million. they will be provided through the "Foreign Military Financing" program. Thus, Slovakia will need to pay about $340 million. within 3-4 years within the planned defense budget.
In addition, Slovakia will receive about 200 million euros from the European Peace Fund for the transfer of the MiG-29 and 50 million euros for the transfer of the Kub air defense system.
The head of the Ministry of Defense indicated that several countries were interested in the supply of equipment, so he assesses the US decision to transfer it to Slovakia extremely positively. At the same time, this step can also be considered in the context of partial compensation for the delay in the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Slovakia.
The parties will be ready to approve an intergovernmental agreement on the supply of helicopters after the transfer of MiG-29 fighters and the Kub air defense system to Ukraine.
At the same time I.Nagy reported on the tests of the first Leopard-2A4 tank, delivered by Germany to replace the BVP–1 transferred to Ukraine, which began on the basis of the Military Technical Testing Institute Zagorye (Vojensky technicky skusobny ustav Zahorie - VTSU Zahorie).
Tests are carried out to check the TTX of the tank, based on the need to adopt it for the Armed Forces of Slovakia. Comprehensive sea trials will be conducted in the next two weeks. Testing should be completed on March 31, 2023. In total, this year the Slovak Armed Forces will receive 15 Leopard-2A4 tanks.